Industrial Applications of Bamboo in Ghana

The concerns for the use of environmentally friendly, renewable and sustainable materials have led to the discovery of bamboo as an alternative to timber. Industrial utilisation of bamboo for structural works and biofuel in the country is on the rise. Its use for structural works and biofuel application has attracted many researchers and engineers in the country due to the rapid depletion of forest timbers in recent years. Other factors influencing bamboo industrial application in Ghana include its excellent mechanical properties in compression, tensile, stiffness, and its high load bearing qualities making it an alternative material for timber. Even though there is a high industrial application of bamboo in the country, there is little literature to cover its full industrial usage considering its mechanical characteristics and environmental friendliness. The study aims to investigate the industrial usage of bamboo's in the country through a thorough review of existing literature on the areas and the future trends of this resourceful material. There are several industrial uses of engineering bamboo as a resourceful material, but for the sake of this work, five current areas of its applications are being considered; bicycle, house, furniture, biofuel, laminate lumber and its carvings for some traditional Ghanaian artefacts. The study further looks at the future areas of industrial developments of bamboo resources in the country. With the abundance of bamboo in the country, its industrial use could be developed and use as commercialised sustainable raw material for industries in Ghana not only for construction and biofuel but also for other industrial uses.